1921 — 1922

2) The Theses on Foreign Trade have gotten bogged down. I appointed 2—3 days long ago.
We must not let such bureaucratic delays pass.

3) Have the forms and methods been thought through for holding members of the boards of trusts responsible for inaccurate accounting and for loss-making conduct of business? Is our People's Commissariat of Justice asleep? Here we need a series of exemplary trials with the application of the harshest punishments. The People's Commissariat of Justice, it seems, does not understand that the New Economic Policy requires new methods of a new harshness of punishment.

4) They say that in Smolensk Province private capital has beaten out the cooperatives, driven them to closure.
What about court cases against illegal trade?
What about tariffs on private trade? and so on and so forth.
Have the Soviet bureaucrats slept through this as well?
Who among you is responsible for this? Should we not create a commission consisting of 1) the People's Commissariat of Finance, 2) the People's Commissariat of Justice, 3) someone else—for measures of supervision and repression against improper trade, etc.?

With communist greetings,
Lenin

# LETTER TO THE PEOPLE'S COMMISSARIAT OF AGRICULTURE

15 February 1922

On 26 January in *Izvestiya VTSIK* there was printed an article by comrade A. Belyakov "Languishing Engines and Proletarian Agriculture."

I recommend that you pay serious attention to this note. It turns out that in the military department five engines—770 brand-new engines with spare parts, in perfect condition, in foreign packaging, with a total power of approximately 117,000 horsepower, worth more than 14,000,000 pre-war gold rubles—have been lying about. These engines are unsuitable for the needs of the military department and are being ceded to the People's Commissariat of Agriculture, which could successfully use them for the needs of agriculture. Four months have passed since the People's Commissariat of Agriculture became aware of this, and up to now absolutely nothing has been done except paper correspondence.

This is unheard-of mismanagement and helplessness.

I propose:

1) that the People's Commissariat of Agriculture provide me with a written explanation;

2) that those guilty of bureaucratic delays be found, and that a loud judicial trial be created around this matter;

3) that this matter be immediately moved forward in the most decisive practical manner, and that within a month I be informed what has actually been done (when the engines were received, how they are being used, to whom they were transferred, when and where they will begin operating, etc.).

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars

Lenin

# LETTER TO THE SOCIALIST ACADEMY

27 February 1922

I am very grateful. Unfortunately, due to illness I am in no way able to fulfill even in the slightest measure my duty as a member of the Socialist Academy. I do not wish to be a figurehead. I therefore ask that I be struck from the lists or not be entered on the lists of members.

Lenin

# LETTER TO V. M. MOLOTOV

To Comrade Molotov. For members of the Politburo

3 March 1922

The Theses of the People's Commissariat of Finance (the fundamental positions of the financial program), in my opinion, are not bad, but they are too theoretical.